Calvin to Regain Collection Control

Overview

Calvin Klein Inc. is bringing its much-traveled Collection business back in-house and, to help cover the costs, CKI owner Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. is getting $38.5 million from Warnaco Group Inc. for several new licenses.

The economy swung all over the place, from the stumbles of Wal-Mart and the subprime mortgage crisis to the continued strength of the luxury market and a flood of private equity money in search of fashion properties in which to invest.

Tough times apparently call for drastic measures. Faced with more than a year of disappointing earnings reports, three of the biggest U.S. public apparel conglomerates are redefining the role of the wholesaler.

The Communist regime guiding China’s red-hot economy and its 1.3 billion people onto the world stage has had to take the good with the bad over the last year. And fashion companies, increasingly vested in the country’s fortunes, are forced to ride the…

The beauty industry was surprised in early November when the Estee Lauder Cos. Inc. unveiled a top management succession plan that not only reached outside the founding family, but also beyond its home turf of department stores.

On Friday night, a slew of Manhattanites proved just how far they would go for a black-tie gala: 45 minutes by car to the Bronx, for the New York Botanical Garden’s Winter Wonderland Ball hosted by Escada.

Gerber Childrenswear Inc., a division of Kellwood Co., has entered into a licensing agreement with Jockey International Inc. to design, produce and distribute Jockey-branded underwear, sleepwear and thermalwear for infants, toddlers and children’s.

Who.A.U., the South Korean brand with a passion for the California lifestyle that opened its first store Dec. 2, at Stamford Town Center in Stamford, Conn., has signed a lease for a 7,000-square-foot unit at Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J.

For Marc Jacobs, 2007 has been another banner year, filled with as many creative peaks as with controversy. It made him one of the most-talked about designers in New York and many will continue to watch his movements next year.

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A room full of toiles at the haute couture atelier in the Dior exhibition at Les Arts Décoratifs, open in Paris since July 5. This is just one of three major exhibitions that have been timed to coincide with the house's 70th anniversary. See the rest of the exhibits, plus read WWD's look into the iconic brand's history. Link in bio. #wwdfashion (📷: @dominiquemaitre)

For spring, Pamplemousse's Danica Zheng presented her signature slip dresses attached to a white T-shirt along with floral windbreakers, off-the-shoulder cotton blouses and more. For more highlights from the New York trade shows, go to WWD.com. #wwdfashion

The Green Carpet Fashion Awards closed out Milan Fashion Week yesterday. The fashion industry flocked to the event, showing its efforts to support and spread the message of sustainability. Supermodel Gisele Bündchen said "if each one of us took at least one step is this direction, there is no saying how much could be done." #wwdeye #wwdfashion #mfw (📷: Lodovico Colli di Felizzano)

Etro’s show, titled “The Tree of Life,” was a celebration of the house’s 50th anniversary. “My father founded the company in 1968, which was the year of counterculture and psychedelia. It’s really a show that celebrates that and the paisley design of India and its origin,” said Veronica Etro. #wwdfashion #mfw #ss18 (📷: @delphineachard)

For her first solo album in over 10 years, Fergie tapped Carine Roitfeld, Mert and Marcus, Giovanni Bianco and more to create a fashion-focused video approach for the record, Double Dutchess. "Giovanni really helped me get back in touch with my tomboy side, my hardside," said the singer. #wwdeye #wwdfashion ( : @slovekinpics)